Collage is an integral component of Romare Bearden’s work, both literally and symbolically. He used the technique of layering to relay rich histories in multifaceted compositions. As is usual in his work, the subject here is abstracted and fragmented: the face of the woman is connected to her hand by a wave of blue, which stands in for her body. A swath of pink surrounds the rose and surges above the woman’s head, emphasizing that the flower is the object of her focus, and ours.